Showing posts with label Willis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Willis. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Miss Virginia 2013 - Rosemary Willis - Going for Miss America 2014 Title In September


Rosemary’s January Appearances 
  
Rosemary Willis ’13 has much in common with the typical student at the College of William and Mary. She is highly involved in a variety of campus activities, including the Accidentals, Baptist Collegiate Ministries and Tribe Fellowship. She is also a certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, and she taught Body Pump at the College’s Student Recreation Center.
But there is one major difference between Willis and the average College student: After competing in pageants since her freshman year, she was crowned Miss Virginia 2012.
Willis would have graduated with the class of 2013, but she is taking the year off to fulfill her responsibilities as Miss Virginia.
“This is a full time job, and it’s sad [to miss my class’s senior year], but at the same time it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Willis said.
For many, the word ‘pageant’ is synonymous with beauty contest, but the stereotypes surrounding such titles and competitions don’t capture all that Willis’ year off entails.
“I’m not 5’ 10” with long legs and acting as a model — that’s not what Miss Virginia Miss America does,” Willis said. “Talent is 35 [percent of your score], interview is 25 — so really I’m more of a PR person, someone who can be in a business meeting with intellectuals … and go get dirty playing with kids and teaching them about good decision-making.”
While Miss America originated as a beauty contest, it has evolved into something much more well-rounded.
“There’s a big difference between Miss America and Miss USA,” Willis’ boyfriend Ryan Ferrera ’13 said. “As Miss Virginia, she’s part of Miss America, which is about service, scholarship and leadership.”
In fact, the Miss America Organization is the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year alone, the organization gave over $45 million in cash and scholarship funds. The opportunity for scholarship money initially drew Willis to the pageant world. As Miss Roanoke Valley, Willis received $3,000 and, at the state level, she won $18,000 for school expenses.
“You have girls from medical school to Ph.D. programs — they’re very motivated women, and the organization is looking to support them in that and open doors,” Ferrera said.
Supporting one’s platform is another key focus of Miss America. Willis’ platform is “Get Moving Today for a Healthier Tomorrow,” an interest shaped in part by her experiences at the College minoring in Kinesiology & Health Sciences and in teaching Body Pump classes.
“She’s very enthusiastic and a great voice on campus for fitness [and] caring for your body,” Willis’ roommate Delaney Janson ’13 said.
Her passion for healthy living also developed through service. Willis worked with a local childhood obesity program through Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA. Each week she met with a group of about 10 children and combined health education with fun workouts that encouraged teamwork.
“That really kicked off my platform work because I didn’t start competing until freshman year in college, and [by then] this was obvious because this is what I live and this is what I love,” Willis said.
http://www.missva.com/?page_id=86  Link to photo gallery where these photos come from.  

Rosemary’s April Appearances

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